REVIEW: Terry Christian at the Sale Waterside

MANCUNIAN TV presenter, newspaper columnist and music critic Terry Christian brought his long running and popular stand-up show to the Sale Waterside last night.

A polarising figure and a niche line in comedy, Terry both charmed and disarmed his audience with a monologue which focused on his upbringing in Old Trafford, the severity of his Catholic education and his 30-year career in the media.

Whilst delivering the show with a candour that he's famous for, Terry effortlessly walked the tightrope of making fun of some quite dark subjects.

Done with a self deprecating line of humour, the audience were laughing along with his childhood anecdotes, which then led to insights into his career in the media.

Heard good things about the @terrychristian Confessions of a Recovering Catholic show in Sale tonight. Top one mate.

The account of his sacking by Key 103, involving the Happy Mondays in a typically rule-breaking mood, was particularly amusing.

There were also stories about his encounters with legendary figures such as James Brown, Eddie Murphy and perhaps most salaciously of all, a famous British actress who was big in Hollywood at the time, who took a particular shine to him in a London nightclub...

After a 20 minute interval, a question and answer session took place. With the floor being opened up, there were some very direct questions posed for Terry.

As promised, not once did he give an evasive answer. The questions were responded to with great humour and humility, shining a hitherto unknown light on some famous figures in the British media over the last 30 years.

The scripted first half, which touched on theology and philosophical concepts that the general public wouldn't expect, worked well.

However, the second half with its Q&A format, was far more spontaneous, and had far more interaction with the audience. There were some very illuminating and, at times, hilarious stories about some very famous figures in both media and showbusiness.